Lock seam sheet metal panel



Oct. 26, 1965 J. wlusKl 3,213,583

' LOCK SEAM SHEET METAL PANEL Filed April 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 7 fll -/4 14 FIG. l

FIG. 2

. 20 26 ag 2 R \L /\\'I\/\L Z 28% 30 f L FIG. 3

INVENTOR JACK WINSKI ATTORNEYS Oct. 26, 1965 J.w1NsK. v 3,213,583

LOCK SEAM SHEET METAL PANEL Filed April 26, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 32 26A J 21- 20W 22 1%] 28 5O l2 L FIG. 7

FlG.5 FIG. 4

FIG. 6.

' 1 i i 2 SQ 2 INVENTOR. F|G 8 JACK wmsm ATTORNEYS United States PatentF 3,213,583 LOEK SEAM SHEET METAL PANEL Jack Winslri, 2nd and Dysonfits, Michigan City, Ind. Filed Apr. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 190,451 3Claims. (Cl. 52395) The present invention relates to sheet metal panelsformed from a number of individual sheets or sections joined together ina weather tight joint and more particularly to a joint construction foruse in joining the individual sheets or sections to form the panel.

Roofing panels, particularly those extensively used in the constructionof mobile homes, trailers and the like are usually constructed of aseries of sheets or sections joined side by side using a lock seam jointand suitable weather calking stripping. This type of fabricated roofingpanels permits the use of standard sheet materials of economical, easilyhandled widths. Previously, however, the joints between the sections orsheets laid side by side either have been difficult to make on fastassembly line operations or have been unreliable and easily damaged whenthe fabricated panels are formed to the contour of the roof structure.Further, the operation or method of assembling the sections and formingthe joints has been difficult to perform or required expensive andcomplicated machinery which is unavailable or impractical for smalloperations. It is therefore one of the principal objects of theinvention to provide a joint construction which can be easily formedusing standard equipment and which is durable and capable ofwithstanding wide temperature variations and adverse weather conditionswithout damage.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fabricated sheet metalpanel construction which can be made in any length and in a variety ofwidths over a wide range, and which can be produced in easily handledsections or rolls and the various sections or rolled material joinedtogether and assembled on the construction location.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a joint structurefor prefabricated roofing panels, the parts of which can be formed andprepared for assembly and thereafter stored and shipped and used inconstructing the joint whenever and wherever the panel is to becompleted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a watertight jointbetween two strips of sheet metal or the like, which securely locks thetwo sheets together and seals the sheets in a fluid-tight relationshipwhich will withstand rough handling of the fabricated sheet anddeformation normally performed in using the panel in the finalstructure.

Another object of the invention is to provide an economical, attractiveand virtually indestructible joint for joining two sections of sheetmetal on a common plane, which does not interfere with forming andadapting the panel thus formed to the final shape or contour of thebuilding, vehicle or similar structure.

Another object is to provide a method of forming the aforementionedjoint.

Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following description and accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a panel formed by the present joint structurefrom a plurality of strips or sections of standard sheet metal;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of one of the joints andtwo adjoining sections of sheet metal as shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view of the jointused in forming the panel, shown in FIGURES 1 and 2;

3,213,5b3 Patented Get. 2%, 1965 FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentarybottom plan view of the joint shown in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a member, referred to here in as a slip cap,used in forming the present joint of the sheet metal panel;

FIGURE 6 is an end view of the slip cap, as shown in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged cross sectional view through the joint before ithas been completed by the method involved in forming the present sheet,the slip cap being shown in its undeformed condition ready to lock thetwo sections of sheet metal in place; and

FIGURE 8 is a diagrammatic representation of the manner in which thepresent panel is formed by a series of joints, the joints beingpartially completed for a substantial section of the panel, and then thepanel completed in one additional forming operation.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, and to FIG- URE 1 inparticular, numeral 10 indicates a large section of a panel fabricatedusing the present joint construction, the sheet metal sections thereofbeing indicated by numerals 12 and the joints connecting the sectionsalong each side thereof being indicated by numeral 14. The sheet metalsections consist of standard sheet metal preferably of twenty-eight orthirty inch widths of twelve to twenty gauge material, the width andgauge being varied from one panel to another, depending upon theintended use to which the panel will be put. The sheet metal is normallyof the standard galvanized material delivered in relatively large rollsfrom which sections of the desired length to produce the required widthof the panel are severed.

The present joint 14 employed in securing sections 12 together in themanner shown in FIGURES l and 2 consists of flanges 20 and 22 turned ina substantially U-shaped form to overlap the adjacent side of therespective section 12. The free edges of flanges 20 and 22 arepreferably spaced from the body portion of the panel 12 a substantialdistance in order to permit easy assembly of the joint. The edges of thepanel sections 12 are placed side by side, preferably substantiallytogether, and a slip cap 24, having a back 26 and two inwardly extendingflanges 28 and 30, is slipped longitudinally along flanges 2t and 22with flanges 28 and 30' being positioned between the flanges on thepanel section and the main body portion of the panel section.

A sealing strip 32 is placed on the internal side of back 26 and, whilethe slip cap is in the shape shown in FIGURE 7, the sealing trip doesnot interfere with the slipping of the cap longitudinally along flanges2i} and 22. After the slip cap has been assembled in the manner shown inFIGURE 7, the joint is rolled or otherwise pressed to deform theflanges, i.e. bending the two flanges together and against therespective portions of the panel sections and slip cap, resulting in thestructure shown in FIGURE 3, with the flanges interlocking one anotherand the slip cap securely holding the two panels together. When thejoint has been deformed in the manner shown in FIGURE 3, the two panelsections are rigidly held together and prevented from slipping orotherwise moving, either longitudinally or transversely in the joint,relative to one another.

During the deforming operation illustrated by FIG- URES 3 and 7, thesealing strip 32 is deformed, extruding outwardly through the smallspace 34 between the two adjoining panel sections and also laterally onthe inner surface of back 26 of cap 24, thus forming a firm andeffective seal between the two panel sections and the flanges 20 and 22,and the internal surface of back 26. While the mechanical joint will inmany instances be adequate to prevent leakage and will rigidly retainthe two sections together under all normal conditions, the sealing stripforms a permanent water and weather-tight joint, which, because of theonly slight exposure to the atmosphere, is securely protected for thelife of the roofing panel.

In producing large panels, the panel sections are first formed toproduce flanges and 22 and then laid side by side. While the sectionsare in this position, the slip caps are slid over the two flanges withflanges 28 and 30 of the slip cap being interlocked with flanges 20 and22, thus retaining the panels together. After a series of these havebeen assembled in this manner, the panel thus partially formed ispressed or rolled to form the joints or the joints are rolledindividually to convert them from the partially formed joint shown inFIGURE 7 to the completed joint illustrated in FIGURE 3.

In forming the slip caps, the flanges are turned inwardly and the beadof sealer is applied simultaneously, the sealer consisting of arubber-like material having a suitable solvent which evaporates readilyafter a strip or head of sealing material has been applied to the centerof the internal side of back 26. The slip cap, after it is formed inthis manner, is set aside to permit the sealing head to cure, thisusually requiring several days. In forming the joints with the slip caplocking and sealing the panel sections together, a solvent is applied tothe joint to render the sealing bead temporarily plastic and tackyduring the time the joint is being pressed from the condition shown inFIGURE 7 to the final joint shown in FIG- URE 3. This permits thesealing bead to flow into the crevices and spaces between the two sheetsand the flanges and back 26 of cap 24 and to form an effective sealbetween the parts of the roofing joint.

After the sheets have been assembled in the manner shown in FIGURE 8 andthe slip caps placed in position over the flanges using a suitablemachine depending upon the capacity or output, a mechanical drivecarries the sheet subassemblies to a position on the conveyor wheresteel rollers are positioned. A solvent is then automatically injectedonto felt rollers, which in turn apply the solvent to each seam or jointassembly, the solvent being squeezed into the seam and activating thepartially cured bead sealer, causing it to flow in all directions,effecting a good, flexible and stable seal relative to all exposedsurfaces. The assembled sheets then pass to another station whereinrollers are used to flatten the flanges of the panel sections and slipcap, thus producing a secure joint. Evaporation of the solvent resultsin a permanent, fluid-tight seal between the parts of the joints. Whilea machine for forming the present joint and producing panels with thesections thereof connected by the joints has been briefly described andreferred to herein, various other types of mechanisms may be used inproducing the joints and panels.

Only one embodiment of the present invention has been described indetail herein; however, various changes and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A lock seam sheet metal panel, comprising two sections of sheet metalin side-by-side position, each section having a flange on the adjacentedges extending away from the respective edge and overlapping the bodyof the sheet, a slip cap having a back and flanges along each edgeextending inwardly over the back, and a continuous head of rubber-likematerial bonded to the internal surface of said back at the centerthereof along substantially the entire length thereof in fluid tightrelation and secured to the adjacent flanges of said sheet sections, theflanges of said cap embracing the flanges on the sheet sections andextending substantially parallel with the 'body of the sheet sections.

2. A joint for joining two sections of sheet metal to form a panel,comprising a flange on the adjacent edges of said sheet metal sections,a slip cap having a back and flanges along each edge extending inwardlyover the back, and a continuous bead of rubber-like material bonded tothe internal surface of said back in fluid tight relation and secured tothe adjacent flanges along substantially the entire length thereof ofsaid sheet sections.

3. A structural element for joining two sections of sheet metal,comprising a slip cap having a back and a flange along each edgeextending inwardly over the back, and a continuous head of partiallycured rubber-like material bonded to the internal surface of said backat the center thereof along substantially the entire length thereof influid tight relation.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 161,420 3/75Losie 52395 537,569 4/95 Flatau 52-467 1,125,570 1/15 Lewis 295261,723,307 8/29 Sipe 52-395 2,627,949 2/53 Willson 5286 2,632,942 3/53Berg et al. 29-526 2,916,054 12/59 Callan 18936 X 3,118,252 1/64 Weed etal. 52-420 FOREIGN PATENTS 802,651 9/36 France.

' 992,163 10/51 France.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, RICHARD W. COOKE, JR.,

Examiners.

1. A LOCK SEAM SHEET METAL PANEL, COMPRISING TWO SECTIONS OF SHEET METALIN SIDE-BY-SIDE POSITION, EACH SECITON HAVING A FLANGE ON THE ADJACENTEDGES EXTENDING AWAY FROM THE RESPECTIVE EDGE AND OVERLAPPING THE BODYOF THE SHEET, A SLIP CAP HAVING A BACK AND FLANGES ALONG EACH EDGEESTENDING INWARDLY OVER THE BACK, AND A CONTINUOUS BEAD OF RUBBER-LIKEMATERIAL BONDED TO THE INTERNAL SUFACE OF SAID BACK AT THE CENTERTHEREOF ALONG SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE LENGTH THEREOF IN FLUID TIGHTRELATION AND SECURED TO THE ADJACENT FLANGES OF SAID SHEET SECTIONS, THEFLANGES OF SAID CAP EMBRACING THE FLANGES ON THE SHEET SECTIONS ANDEXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL WITH THE BODY OF THE SHEET SECTIONS.